[at-l] trip to New York.....(installment 2)

[CHoover241@aol.com]

Hey guys,

The hike:

Started out on Friday July 2 to hike.  Our plan was to hike for 3 days.  We
were gonna move the car each day with Slyman hiking away from car and me
hiking towards it.  That way we would have the car at night to sightsee this
beautiful New York country.

I left around 9:30 hiking south from NY highway 17 to 17A a distance of about
12 miles.  Not to complain, but the white blaze painters hike north.  The
blazes were behind me not in front.  The first 5 miles I lost the trail about
6 times.  At one point, I was sitting on this vista (the vistas in this area
are really scary climbs by the way when you are hiking alone) and I saw
another hiker heading the wrong direction.  I called to him and he reluctantly
came forward (hesitantly from a hiker from Manhatten).  "What are you doing up
there," he said, "when the trail is over here."  I told him to turn around and
he was shocked at all the white blazes heading north.  Wow....thanks I was
heading the wrong way he stated.  I have 15 miles to go today and I have
gotten lost 5 times already. .....It is always great to find out you are not
the only one.

A few miles later I ran into trail guy with bucket of paint and brush.  I was
ready to tell him that we were having problems but he went into a tirade about
how the AT does not need to be blazed at all.  It is clear as a bell he said
and that he was not getting paid for wasting his time.  I passed him and 1.5
minutes later went straight on a trail while the AT turned left over rocks
without showing me a double blaze (time number 6).

Anyways, the climbing was extremely intense but the vistas were spectacular.
When I picked up the Slyman at Harriman State Park, we realized there was not
gonna be a place to park cars over the 4th for the next days hike, so I
volunteered to play trail angel the next day and go to Bear Mtn to go site
seeing.....but that is another story.

Installment 3 tomorrow.

           choovers
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